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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I think I liked this and actually it being a part of a series makes a lot of sense given then ending. I don't know that much about the K-Pop world and so that whole aspect was pretty new to me-honestly, I would have liked more of it because I found that super interesting.
ok so first of all this book was lowkey horrifying. scratch that, it was high-key terrifying. and the end was so confusing like I still have no idea what happened and it didn't make much sense. the writing was good and descriptive, and she certainly had some interesting ideas and concepts, but I just didn't understand it. it honestly sounded like some weird culty thing that could actually happen, and sounds like a true crime podcast would be made about.
First, this book does not Gal Pals us thank god. Like many books I started reading going “this is pretty gay” and about halfway through the book said “yeah it sure is.”
Parts of this book sent me sobbing. The grief, rage, loneliness, self hatred are all real and raw. In the last few chapters when Sunny is talking to Mina, WHUFF. We all have things we regret and loss we can’t ever really get over. Sometimes there’s just surviving.
The horror of existing in this world as a teenage girl is also brutally realized, without, thankfully, resorting to putting sexual violence on the page. It’s sadly fitting that this book’s fantasy element is what allows those girls to have bloody revenge.
Other parts weren’t bad but just weren’t as good. I would have been happy to let the book have more time and space to play out the horror of the entertainment industry, of what we demand of girls’ and women’s bodies both to be attractive and perform.
Finally, in defense of Eugenia, sushi made with non sushi rice sounds disgusting. Was it just long grain rice? Was it even sticky rice?? Justice for Genie.
Parts of this book sent me sobbing. The grief, rage, loneliness, self hatred are all real and raw. In the last few chapters when Sunny is talking to Mina, WHUFF. We all have things we regret and loss we can’t ever really get over. Sometimes there’s just surviving.
The horror of existing in this world as a teenage girl is also brutally realized, without, thankfully, resorting to putting sexual violence on the page. It’s sadly fitting that this book’s fantasy element is what allows those girls to have bloody revenge.
Other parts weren’t bad but just weren’t as good. I would have been happy to let the book have more time and space to play out the horror of the entertainment industry, of what we demand of girls’ and women’s bodies both to be attractive and perform.
Finally, in defense of Eugenia, sushi made with non sushi rice sounds disgusting. Was it just long grain rice? Was it even sticky rice?? Justice for Genie.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I wanted to like this way more than I actually did. Lowkey a little disappointed. I thought this book was tailor made for me, but none of the elements I'd been hopeing for were, in my opinion, satisfying. Maybe if I read this sooner instead of hyping it up so much for myself I would've enjoyed it more, but I didn't so here we are.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting concept, though I was not Hooked throughout the story and ended up forgetting or spacing during the book as there were many fill scenes
dark
mysterious
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was an incredible book! I think it got a little more literal at the end (which perhaps cut off some of the metaphor in favor of pressing certain interpretations (ie love as a force strong enough to sacrifice power for, and counter of complacency sowing greed )), but I don’t think it’s bad the direction the author went. Quite understandably, there is a lot of trauma when you are in a cult, so it makes sense to demonstrate there is unconditional love and support when your world turns upside down. I really liked all the themes about body dysmorphia, conformity, particularly within K-Pop, and the way that social media has made most everyone (including those with traditional media popularity) into constantly receiving validation or hate and the way they impact self perception. I know this book says it’s YA, but honestly I think that’s just because the protagonist was young, and there was so much more depth than most YA books.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a good read. I did get a little confused between jumping from past and present but once I got the hang of it, I was okay.
I did like a sapphic book focusing on East Asian characters, it was a breath of fresh air. It also does a good job of talking about how toxic the industry can be, especially for young women. It also shows the vulnerable side of such business when people can take advantage of young talents.
I wish they showed more of the horror element in the beginning. This book had a good ending and I’m intrigued to see how the second book will do, it would be cool to see the love grow between our main characters.
I did like a sapphic book focusing on East Asian characters, it was a breath of fresh air. It also does a good job of talking about how toxic the industry can be, especially for young women. It also shows the vulnerable side of such business when people can take advantage of young talents.
I wish they showed more of the horror element in the beginning. This book had a good ending and I’m intrigued to see how the second book will do, it would be cool to see the love grow between our main characters.
A fast read, with a few decent twists but a less than fully developed antagonist, and an abandoning of the early premise for a supernatural, horror one. This was fun but ultimately less than satisfying, especially the cliff hanger ending.